Young people these days...

I have always run with a crowd younger than myself. I still enjoy the company of those from 20 to 50..I must say they are not a happy lot right now...and they do have legitimate gripes. The big concern seems to be the "affordable health care act" in small case.

"Why should I buy health care I can't afford". That's a problem my younger friends are wrestling with. Most can't seem to work up an appetite for health care insurance at any price, and especially don't want it crammed down there throats. In my experience, they'll whistle a different tune if they break an arm. I promise you they'll  raise hell about the bill that includes a $30.00 Aspirin if they don't have any coverage.

I didn't care a tinkers damn for heath insurance as a young man. If someone told me I had to have it, I'd have bucked, too. Oh, I had a few job that included health insurance, but I rarely used it. I never had health insurance coverage full time until I was over 50.

I must say, at my age, it would be foolish not to have health insurance. Without it, I would be homeless hen they released me from hospital.  I'd have to fight for a park bench because I would no longer have a home; the hospital would own it. Janice and I would be out on the street. All we worked for gone. This is in stark comparison to the bill for a broken collar bone in the mid 60's. The bill came to $200.00.

In theory the young don't want to support our old bones in our dotage. They don't appreciate the fact they will be Old and Gray and Only in the Way (a title of a great Charlie Poole song from the 30's)a few years. I always thought I was ten foot tall and bullet proof, but a serious injury got me thinking. While felling locust  trees for fence posts, one fell on my back...nothing broken, just badly bruised. I was incapacitated for a month or so. Shortly thereafter, two year old Jessie went to the hospital with pneumonia. Those two hospital visits cost over $600.00...out of pocket. That smarted a little, seeing WV had no jobs back then. We managed to pay it off, eventually.

Nowadays, young folks really don't have a choice. They are being targeted by our generation to support our old age, and provide some health coverage for themselves. The job market, frozen wages and  low wages, out sourcing of jobs, high cost of education, and lack of jobs for those with an education really make it tough.

Employers are scrambling to see how quick the can get out of paying any part of employee insurance, leaving the burden, by law, now on the individual. Most just can't afford it, but can't afford not to afford health insurance, but there aren't any option, from what I hear. I think young people could afford is a high deductible plan for 50.00 a month.

High deductible and cheap will not  happen as long as insurance companies are in the mix. Insurance companies are in the business of making money. They do, and it doesn't make and difference what the policy holders need or want, That's really irrelevant. Insurance companies must feel pretty good about the new market for their overpriced products...handed to them by the affordable care act. It'll all work out, though, this is just another blip on the screen.

Maybe the young 'folks are right. Forcing the issue of insurance upon them may not be the right way, but ultimately, it might be the best way. Something has to been done to "level the playing field" and make health care affordable for everyone, instead of taxpayers paying the brunt of the cost for the millions who show up at health care providers with no coverage. and no money.

I'm glad I have insurance, however it all happened. All I do is listen to the complaints of younger people.  My own life is pretty uncomplicated. That could change any day. My demise, (not soon, I hope) will allow another to stand in my place in the health care line...until they croak. There will always be a line. Nothing new. there.

My choices are limited  now. Lots of things I could have entertained doing at 40, no longer are available to me because of my age, inability to function at a higher level than I do, and the fact I just plain don't care to join the rat race again. I'm pretty happy with the choices I've made. Doing fine on the farm. Lucky, I guess.

Hope these young friends of mine feel the same in 40 years.